


Betray Me Not

by pandorabox82



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-10
Updated: 2016-06-10
Packaged: 2018-07-14 03:27:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,271
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7151183
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pandorabox82/pseuds/pandorabox82
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jack has some important news to tell his father on the day of JJ's wedding. Will Hotch be able to break her heart on the happiest day of her life? AU, inspired by whiteswan</p>
            </blockquote>





	Betray Me Not

"But, Dad! I have to tell you something! Something important!" Jack whined, stamping his foot as he yanked off the tie Aaron had chosen for him to wear.

"We don't have time for this, Jack. Beth is going to be by in ten minutes, and then we're heading out to the wedding together. You know that we've had this planned, ever since Miss Jareau said yes to Will."

Jack pouted and shook his head, looking for all the world like his mother in that moment, and Aaron reached out and rubbed his hair lightly, trying to calm him down. "You don't understand, Dad. I saw something that you need to know about before we go to that wedding. Please, listen to me!"

Aaron finally nodded, knowing that he wouldn't be able to get his son to quiet down if he didn't listen to him. "Fine, Jack, what is so important that you have to tell me about this now before we plan on going out?"

Jack nodded and took a deep breath. "Yesterday, when you were busy taking care of the unsub, Beth got a call from someone. I know that I shouldn't spy, but she sounded so worried that I couldn't help but listen in to her side of the conversation. And then, she called the person on the other end Will. I know, before you even say it, there are a lot of people who are named Will, but then she asked him about how he was feeling, if he was going to be all right, and when he'd get released from the hospital."

"That proves nothing, Jack." A small sliver of doubt, though, wormed into his brain, and he frowned a little. "What makes you think that Beth was talking to Miss Jareau's Will?"

"Because Beth said that she'd seen him all over the television that afternoon. And the only Will that I've seen on television lately has been Miss Jareau's! I tried to stay awake so that I could tell you last night, but it got so late, I fell asleep. And it's taken me all day to work up the courage to tell you. You can't let them get married, it wouldn't be right!"

Aaron gave his son a pained smile, thankful that he had inherited Aaron's sense of honor. But this was going to be a thorny knot to untangle, with less than two hours until the wedding. And then, a gentle knock came at the door, and he knew that Beth had arrived. Looking at Jack, he picked up the tie and handed it over. "Put the tie on, Jack. Beth and I have to talk."

"Yes, Dad."

His son scurried over to his bedroom, and Aaron went to the door, opening it to find Beth standing there, looking anxious. "You're a little early," he said, letting her in.

"Well, better early than never!" she said nervously, her hands smoothing her tight skirt over her hips. "So, is Jack ready to head out, too?"

He shook his head and led her over to the couch. "We have to talk about something. When did you meet Will LaMontagne?"

She gasped and brought her hand to her lips. "I have no idea what you're talking about, Aaron," she tried to say, unable to look him in the eye.

"And you shouldn't lie to a profiler, Beth. When did you start stepping out on me?"

She sighed and rubbed her hands up and down her arms as she looked up into his eyes. "Since the triathlon. You were so busy talking to JJ and Emily that I felt left out. Will was there, and we struck up a conversation, and things sort of happened. We never meant to cheat on our partners, and I would have been perfectly willing for him to marry JJ."

"Would have been?" he asked, his voice dangerously low. As he watched, the woman shuddered a little at the tone, and still he waited for her response.

"I think I'm pregnant, Aaron. I missed a month, and I've never done that before. I have no idea if the baby would be yours or his. And now, you know about my affair, and suddenly, I don't think that I can let him go through with marrying her, not when I could have his baby here."

Reaching out, Beth grabbed hold of his hand and rested it on her stomach. Aaron pulled back in disgust, feeling his lips curl into a sneer as he watched her face carefully. "And what are we going to do about this?" he asked.

"Marry me?" she murmured as she looked down at the floor, a few tears rolling down her cheeks. He let out a sharp laugh, one that sounded vicious to his ears, and she began to cry harder. "I'll just go home tonight. I'll take a pregnancy test in the morning, and we'll go from there. It's obvious that we're not going to work out."

"That would be an understatement," he muttered before resting his hand on her shoulder. "But, you're not going to weasel out of this so easily. Dry those crocodile tears and come along. We're going to stop a wedding."

Her head shot up, her eyes wide and full of anxiety. "That would kill JJ!"

"No, being made a fool of would kill her. This? This will merely hurt for a little while."

"I always knew you were in love with her," Beth hissed as she stomped over to the door. "Well? Are you ready?" The quick vacillation of emotions made him think that she really could be pregnant, and he took a deep breath, not certain that he was prepared to raise a child with someone he now despised.

"Jack, let's go!" he called out, smiling a little at his son as he ran out to join them. Jack didn't even say a word to Beth as he tumbled out the door and to the car. He almost reached out for Beth's arm, the Southern gentleman being hard to quiet, even for her.

The drive over to Dave's home was tense, and he kept checking the rearview mirror to see what Jack was doing. Every so often, he'd pull a face at Beth, who was ignoring the both of them by staring out her window at the evening skyline.

Unfortunately, they were some of the last to arrive, and he groaned as he parked his car behind Garcia's. Stalking up to the door, he entered without knocking, making a beeline for JJ. She looked up at him from her conversation with Dave and Erin, her smile turning into a frown as she saw the look on his face.

"Aaron? What is it?" she asked, reaching out to rest her hand on his upper arm.

"We need to talk, now. I'm sorry, Dave, but this might not end well."

His friend glowered at him, his arm tightening around Erin's waist as he spoke. "And why would that be? I spent good money on the caterer."

"Because something has recently come to light that will affect JJ and myself, and we need to deal with it before the night can continue." That seemed to get through to his best friend, as Dave nodded before beckoning Jack over to his side. It pleased Aaron to know that his friend was going to take care of his son while this little scene played out, and he nodded before leading JJ over to Beth. "We're going to talk in den. I know that is the most private room in the house," he bit out, noting how Beth flinched and trying not to smirk.

"Hotch, what's going on?" JJ asked as she kept close to his side. He shook his head. "Really? You can't tell me now?"

"No. I want this to be done in private, where there's less chance of little ears overhearing something that would devastate them." She gave him a sharp nod as they turned into the den. Beth walked past him, her head bowed low as she sniffled a little. Aaron closed the door with a firm snick, and Beth jumped once more before taking a seat in one of the wingback chairs in front of the fireplace.

"All right, we're alone now. What's going on?"

"Ask Beth, Jen. She's the one who brought our house of cards down around our heads."

JJ shook her head a little as she turned her face to gaze at Beth. "Okay, Beth, what do you have to tell me that's so important."

"I think that I might be pregnant with Will's child." The words, though soft, resounded through the room with a loud crack, and JJ stiffened in shock. Whipping her head to Aaron, he watched as love and compassion died in her eyes, replaced with the sorrow and fear of yesterday.

"I'm sorry?" she asked, drifting over to Aaron and grabbing hold of his hand, threading their fingers together. The touch felt so right to him, and he wondered if there was any truth to the bitter words that Beth had thrown at him earlier.

"We've been seeing each other since the triathlon. Every time that you went out on a case, we'd find an excuse to be together. I knew it was wrong, but we just clicked for some reason, and then I couldn't stop the snowball as it rolled down the mountain."

JJ let out a snort of bitter laughter. "Oh, there is always a way to stop things, Beth. You just chose to let things get out of control. But why are you telling me this now?" She looked up into Hotch's face. "Oh, god, Rossi overheard Will and me yesterday. He planned a surprise wedding, didn't he?"

Aaron nodded before tugging her into a hug, unable to help himself as she started to cry softly. "He had no idea this was going on. I didn't, until Jack told me, and that was less than an hour ago. I just knew that I couldn't let you go into this without knowing everything. It's up to you if you want to marry him now."

She nodded against his chest. "I'll need to confirm this with Will, of course. Not that I don't trust you, but I want to see what he has to say for himself. Would you go get him for me? I have a few more questions for Beth here."

He nodded before stepping back from her, kissing her forehead softly. That made her smile a little, and he relished being able to bring that out in her, even at a time like this. Slipping out the door, he found that Will was bearing down on them, his face dark with anger. "Fuck you, Hotchner," he spat out, and it took everything in Aaron to not reach out and punch him.

"No, I think that I should be saying fuck you, LaMontagne. After all, Beth was my girlfriend." His eyes narrowed as he jerked his head towards the den door. "They're in there talking. I don't think that it would be wise to disturb them at the moment."

"Like I would listen to you," the younger man growled before barreling past him and into the den. Aaron followed at his heels, shutting the door behind him. "Jen, I can explain!"

"Oh, you can explain how your mistress is pregnant with your baby and you were never going to tell me how you were betraying me? Or can you explain how I was never enough for you?"

"You were never here," he replied, and JJ's hand shot out to slap him hard across his face.

"We're through, Will. Here, take your ring," she spat out, ripping the band off her hand and shoving it into his chest. He fumbled for the ring as she stalked over to Aaron's side, once more taking hold of his hand. "At least I have one person in my life who wouldn't lie to me, and cared enough to tell me the truth."

Will looked like he was ready to reply when the door opened once more. Aaron was surprised to see Erin standing there, worry knitting her brows together. "David wanted me to check in on you four. Is everything okay?"

It was still weird to hear tenderness and concern in her voice, and he looked down at JJ, wanting to let her answer. "I'll be fine, Ma'am, thank you," she replied as she tugged Aaron over to the doorway. "I do hope that Rossi bought some top shelf champagne for tonight. I need to forget everything that just happened."

Erin shook her head a little before trailing after them, her arm reaching out for Dave as she passed him. "I know that he bought some delicious non-alcoholic sparkling cider for me. But I'm sure that there's something in his house to help you forget whatever you want to forget."

"Good." JJ looked up at Aaron. "I'm going to need my friends by my side, Aaron, Ma'am, for the fallout. Can I depend on you?"

Somehow, he knew that the words were intended more for him than anyone else, and he nodded as he squeezed her hand. "Of course, I'm going through the same ordeal, so we can rest on each other."

"Perfect," she whispered as they walked outside, the garden decorated for a celebration that was not to be. Aaron heard JJ's strangled gasp, and he tugged her close, wondering which of them would be making the announcement that wedding had been called off. All he knew for certain was that they would get through this together.


End file.
